Supporting
School
Food Guidelines
information for parents and caregivers
HEALTHY STUDENTS HEALTHY SCHOOLS
2008
3
Healthy choices
available in our
schools
For a copy of the School
Food Guidelines go to the Healthy
Students Healthy Schools web site:
www.livinghealthyschools.com
• Keep healthy snacks on hand for
grab and go
• Talk to the school council members
about how to work together to
Special occasions
and fundraising at
school
promote healthy eating and daily
This brochure provides parents
and caregivers with healthy
eating tips as well as information
on how to learn more about the
School Food Guidelines
• With the help of principals, teachers,
What parents and
caregivers can do to
help children and
teens make healthy
choices
students, parents, food service
providers, registered dietitians and
community groups, guidelines for
Parents play an important role in
making healthy choices
school districts in the province
• The School Food Guidelines provide
information on the foods and
beverages that are the healthiest
choices for students
• Selling and serving healthy food and
beverage choices at school and at
school events is part of a Healthy
Students Healthy Schools initiative to
promote healthy school environments
for students to grow and learn
• Make mealtime an enjoyable
experience
• Be role models by eating healthy
and being active
• Plan and discuss with you child or
teen the healthy lunches and snacks
he or she takes to school
• Involve your child or teen in food
shopping, cooking and preparation
• Offer a variety of healthy foods
at home
• Learn about the new healthy food
and beverages available at school
• Talk to your child or teen about
making healthy choices
School nutrition policies also
apply to special occasions and
fundraising items
• When asked to send along food items
Food safety tips
Keep food safety in mind when
preparing lunches and snacks
• Clean hands, surfaces and utensils
frequently
foods and beverages served in school
have been developed for use by all
physical activity
• Keep leftovers and perishables chilled
with an ice pack to keep foods at a
safe temperature in the lunch box
• To learn more about food safety
contact an environmental health
officer at your nearest Government
Services Centre or visit:
www.canfightbac.org
to school, choose items that fit with
your school’s food guidelines
• For fundraising options choose
healthy food or non-food items
(e.g., greeting cards)
5
Brown Bag Lunch Ideas
Healthy lunches are easy
to put together
A thermos of chili, whole wheat dinner
roll, slice of cheddar cheese, washed
grapes and water
Use Canada’s Food Guide
to build school lunches...
Start with a grain product - bread,
pasta, pita, English muffin, crackers,
rolls, tortillas, rice
Turkey on whole grain bread with lettuce
and tomato, yogurt, blueberries and water
Mini pizza (English muffin, sauce,
vegetables, meat or alternative), canned
peaches and milk
Leftover meat and vegetables on a
whole wheat tortilla with cheddar
cheese, fruit cup and water
Add a meat or an alternative turkey, chicken, beef, ham, eggs,
beans, peas, tofu
Chicken and vegetable soup, bread sticks,
vanilla pudding and 100% fruit juice
Include a vegetable - tomato, lettuce,
carrot, turnip, broccoli
Important Tip
Finish off with milk and a piece of fruit apple, banana, kiwi, orange, grapes
Encourage children and teens to satisfy
thirst with plain water
7
Use Canada’s Food
Guide to make
healthy lunches
and snacks
• Try seasonal specials such as
mandarin oranges in the winter or
local fall vegetable sales
Milk and Alternatives Group: milk,
yogurt, cheese, fortified soy beverage.
• Encourage your child or teen to drink
milk at school and at home helps
Grain Products Group: bread,
young children and teens get the
calcium and vitamin D they need
bagels, flat breads, rice, cereal, pasta,
Pack snacks and lunches with
foods from Canada’s Food
Guide
• A snack should contain 2 food groups
each day
couscous.
• Make at least half of your grain
products whole grain each day
• Choose grain products that are lower
• A lunch should contain 4 food groups
in fat, sugar and salt
Vegetables and Fruit Group: fresh,
• Buy cereals with less than 9 grams of
sugar and greater than 2 grams of
• Canada’s Food Guide recommends
children age 4 to 8 get 2 servings of milk
and alternatives each day
• Canada’s Food Guide recommends
children and teens age 9 to 18 get
3-4 servings of milk and alternatives
each day
frozen, canned, cupped or dried fruit and
fibre per serving more often
vegetables.
• Aim for 100% vegetables and fruit with
no added sugar
• Have vegetables and fruit more often
than juice
• Toss local blueberries, bake apples, or
raspberries on a salad or place them
in yogurt at lunch
• Choose dark green and orange
vegetables each day
• Choose whole grain pasta, rice or
pizza on whole grain crust
• Fortified soy beverage can be used as
a substitute for milk
• Choose hard cheese and cheese
strings with less than 21% Milk Fat (M.F.)
more often
• Choose puddings made with milk and
Meat and Alternatives
Group: poultry, lean meat, fish, eggs,
beans, dried peas, lentils, tofu, nuts and
seeds.
• Make sandwiches with lower fat,
unprocessed meats such as chicken,
turkey, roast beef or pork
• Choose lean cuts of meat such as
‘round’ or ‘sirloin’
• Limit higher sodium lunch meats such
as salami, pepperoni, ham, corned
beef, bologna, and bacon
• Use meats with less than 480 mg of
sodium per serving
• Have meat alternatives such as
with greater than 10% of the daily
beans, lentils or eggs on sandwiches
value (DV) of calcium more often
and wraps
• Try topping a green salad with kidney
beans or chickpeas
• Cut up vegetables like carrot, turnip,
sweet peppers, zucchini, cherry
tomatoes, baby carrots, broccoli or
For a copy of Canada’s Food Guide
sweet potatoes. Dip in low fat
on-line go to:
dressing
www.livinghealthyschools.com
Keep Serving Sizes Handy!
Vegetables and Fruit
• 1 cupped hand is about 1/2 cup (125 mL)
This is 1 Canada’s Food Guide serving of fresh,
frozen or canned vegetables or fruit
• 2 cupped hands is about 1 cup (250 mL).
This is 1 Canada’s Food Guide serving of
leafy vegetables
Grain Products
• Your fist size is about 1 cup (250mL)
This is 2 Canada’s Food Guide servings
of grains
Meat and Alternatives
• Your palm size (small hand) is about 90 g
(3oz) or 1/2 cup (125mL). This is slightly larger
than 1 Canada’s Food Guide serving of
cooked fish, poultry or lean meat
Milk and Alternatives
• 2 thumbs is about 50 g (1 1/2 oz)
This is 1 Canada’s Food Guide serving
of cheese
• 1 cup (250 mL) is 1 Canada’s Food Guide
serving of milk
For more information about serving sizes or to ask a question about
healthy eating at school, please visit:
www.livinghealthyschools.com